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Calculated move was perfect solution for Abbie

BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance graduate Abbie was completing an apprenticeship in business administration, but decided to return to study and complete a degree to expand her academic knowledge.

Abbie, 21, from Middlesbrough, said: 'I started the apprenticeship having previously not considered university as an option, but I soon realised that having a degree could help me to make a bigger career impact in the future.

'I applied through Clearing, as I made the decision to return to education during the summer months. Leaving the apprenticeship to come to Teesside University was the best decision I have ever made.'

Abbie, who works for online lighting retailer Ocean Lighting, said: 'During the degree I continued to work on days I wasn’t at University. The company was really good about tailoring my shifts around my studies.'

She added: 'It's a small business and we are all involved in roles to cover customer service, business admin and warehousing. It has helped me to see everything relevant from my degree which goes into running a business, such as stock control, reconciliation, fraud prevention and investigation, which was the inspiration for my degree dissertation.'

During her degree, Abbie completed a placement at Middlesbrough Football Club, working in the catering cash office. She said: 'My degree helped in understanding the internal risk controls which need to be in place when there is cash on site.

'The placement also helped to show me real-world application of the theories I was learning in my studies. All of my lecturers had industry experience and were able to offer real applications of everything, which was really helpful.

'I loved the placement and it has made a huge difference to my CV.' Abbie added: 'I chose Teesside University as it has a big focus on experience and placements.

'Now that I have graduated, I hope to become chartered and pursue a career in finance.'